More Than Sorry

10: He Faces Her Friend

"A month ago, I might have believed you. You had us all fooled." Andie sighs, running a hand through her hair. "I had my doubts about you from the start, you know? But even I didn't peg you for a cheater."

I exhale sharply. These accusations always hit me hard, but I manage to keep my voice even when I reply, "I know how it might have looked to Eden that night, but I never cheated on her."

"Prove it."

My head snaps up, searching Andie's face. "I ah... I want to. But how... how can I?"

"Unlock your phone and give it to me."

Without hesitating, I slip my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans, press my thumb to unlock it, and hold it out toward Andie on my open palm. Shock flashes across her face—she obviously didn't think I would do it—before she snags the phone and starts tapping around the screen.

Andie's eyebrows pinch together, her lips flattening. "Where's all your apps?"

"I don't like to have too much clutter on the screen," I reply. "I don't do much on my phone anyway. It's mostly for work."

"Krispy Kreme?" Andie smirks.

"My executive assistant likes donuts," I explain weakly. "Trace needs to be happy if I want anything to get done."

Andie smirks again and starts tapping around. Her finger slides along the screen, scrolling through my messages. "Damn. You get a lot of texts about boring shit."

"Yeah. Mostly organizing settlements or meetings."

"You text your mum and dad a lot," she says, her eyes still on the screen. "And all these texts to Eden... You know she blocked you, right?"

"Yeah, but I like to send her a text every morning... and every night... just in case she changes her mind. I don't want her to think I've stopped thinking about her."

Andie's eyes are back on mine, head tilted, watching me for a few beats before she drops her eyes again. I hear her faint mutter, "Michaela... Michaela... Where is she..." She keeps tapping away. "Gotcha."

For a split second, my vision goes white, blinded by the memory of Michaela's messages on the night that ruined my life. I deleted everything, didn't I? My pulse quickens. I never wanted to see the damn photo in the first place. I know I deleted it. Fuck, I hope I deleted it.

Andie's still muttering as she scrolls back through Michaela's texts. "The bank says it's off until five... Where are the fucking guarantees... Paralegals forgot the land title searches..." Andie's eyes lock on mine. "What is all this shit?"

"Michaela is a lawyer in the banking team. She runs the financing side for some of my clients."

"Other than work, nothing is going on between you two?" When I shake my head, Andie asks, "But even after what happened, you didn't block her?"

My eyes go to the laundry ceiling, counting the tiny flecks of paint peeling off as I blow out a long breath. This looks bad, and even before the words leave my mouth, I know Andie isn't going to buy what I have to say.

"It's like I said. Michaela and I work together on some transactions. She needs to be able to contact me at all times in case something gets fucked up."

Andie nods slowly. "Good excuse."

"It's not—you know what, yeah, I could try harder to work around it," I admit with a sigh. "I will block Michaela if that's what Eden wants."

Andie nods again. Then her lips curl into a grin that chills me to my core. I take a step back and hit the counter. That grin is evil as hell. "Photo time!"